Hypothyroid - The Shiba Inu Forumhttp://www.shibainuforum.org/forum/categories/hypothyroid/feed.rss
Wed, 19 Dec 18 09:43:58 +0000Hypothyroid - The Shiba Inu Forumen-CAThyroid testing, maybe hypothyroidismhttp://www.shibainuforum.org/forum/discussion/6187/thyroid-testing-maybe-hypothyroidism
Tue, 17 Aug 2010 05:18:52 +0000curlytails6187@/forum/discussionsThen I went out on a limb and made a batch of home-baked beef liver and blueberry treats with sweet potato flour. We'd been avoiding chicken, he doesn't usually ever get beef in his diet, and I thought it would be fun to make him something of my own. And he loved the stuff! This was last Sunday or so. And on Wednesday or Thursday, I gave him a raw ox tail. Immediately, he started to really itch again, to the point where even the cone wasn't stopping him. And soon enough, he had managed to chew one of his feet bloody again.

So we're going back to the vet -- this is the fifth visit since March! -- and along with more antibiotics, I'm asking them to do a full thyroid test. I'm suspecting hypothyroidism based on the following symptoms --

* lethargy, tiring on long walks (which could also be a side effect of the Temaril-P)* weight gain (he's at 33 pounds now, up from 29 pounds last fall, about 28 pounds the year before ; not a super dramatic jump in weight, but he is definitely chubby though he only gets 9 nuggets of Primal Raw a day plus minimal treats)* skin infections (he's been treated for infections due to broken paw pads twice now, and this upcoming visit will probably be the third, as his paw gets really swollen and pink when he does manage to lick it -- believe me, we're trying to make sure he doesn't!)* hair loss (his tail is still quite bushy, no "rat's tail", but there's been significant hair loss around his neck/collar area)* musky, distinctive "dog" odor (he's a shiba! He usually NEVER smells like this!)* discoloration of the skin (especially inside of his thighs and armpits, it's very pink and even dark gray/black in some spots)* dry, brittle hair (his back and chest are fine, but the fur on his back legs is really rough -- it is often like this in the summer, so may be more associated with seasonal coat changes and not necessarily hypothyroidism?)

... I just see a lot of signs, so I want to get the test done so I can at least rule it out. Plus, it's a common problem with akitas from what I understand -- but maybe it hasn't been studied enough in shibas for it to warrant an official footnote in standard descriptions? The NSCA site calls hypothyroidism "not uncommon" in shibas.

Anyway, I wanted to start this thread to get an idea of what to expect from the upcoming vet appointment, what I should bear in mind or understand about the different kinds of tests (I was quoted $74 for a T4 test, or $134 for a "more detailed" test -- I read somewhere, forgot now where, that only a "more detailed" test would give conclusive results that could lead to a final diagnosis of hypothyroidism, so I need to make sure I'm getting that). Plus $166 for a full blood panel. Plus a $67 examination/consultation fee. And whatever they're going to charge for antibiotics...

Basically anyone else with any other experiences, please share. I'm desperate for information.

Part of me is almost hoping he DOES have hypothyroidism, so that there can finally be some kind of concrete answer to these skin problems that have gotten worse and worse every year.]]>Soloxine shortage 2015http://www.shibainuforum.org/forum/discussion/14345/soloxine-shortage-2015
Thu, 24 Sep 2015 04:50:55 +0000zandrame14345@/forum/discussionseverywhere. There's no solid estimated return date, but some time in 2016. The replacement we got is Thyro-Tabs. He seemed to handle the switch fine at first, but this week (third week on it), his erratic pre-Soloxine behavior is resurfacing. Called the vet and he said we are the third client in a week to report low efficacy after the switch.

Is anybody else affected by the Soloxine shortage? If you had to switch, what drug are you on now? Any noticeable changes?]]>Hypothyroidism, Treatment, and Weight Losshttp://www.shibainuforum.org/forum/discussion/12486/hypothyroidism-treatment-and-weight-loss
Tue, 01 Oct 2013 15:37:37 +0000amti12486@/forum/discussionsI took Sheba to Petsmart to weigh her yesterday and she was at 53 lbs. I asked if her dosage needed to be lowered and was told by their tech that unless she was losing a lot of weight too soon, that the dosage was fine. From what I understood, the tech was telling me that if the dosage is too strong, Sheba would be losing weight quickly. If the dosage was not strong enough, she would not be losing any weight. Is there any truth to this? If that was true, wouldn't it be better to up her dosage since her health is in jeopardy? Or is the dosage too high already? On one hand, it makes since because giving too much would make the dog hyperthyroid, right? But if this was true, wouldn't it be a type of diet pill?

Honestly, I did not want to dose her at all, if given a choice, because from what I have read about the meds, the body will eventually stop producing its own T3 and T4. I think it is past that time already for Shebe since she's been on the meds for 12 weeks. Has anyone stopped giving thyroid meds and still have a normal active dog? I guess one part of me hopes that one day, she'll be at an ideal weight where she won't need to be on meds. I can't seem to blow off the thought that maybe her weight gain contributed to her thyroid issues, and had she been at a normal weight all along, she would have never encountered hypothyroidism. If meds were stopped, what is the worse that could happen?

Also, can I change from Levothyroxine to thyroxine with no problem? I can get thyroxine cheaper from my son's vet.]]>Radioactive Isotope to Treat Hyperthyroidismhttp://www.shibainuforum.org/forum/discussion/9458/radioactive-isotope-to-treat-hyperthyroidism
Tue, 28 Feb 2012 22:32:32 +0000notoriousscrat9458@/forum/discussionsSo, I just heard about treating hypothyriodism in cats by injecting a radioactive isotope. Apparently the success rate is very high (98% for 1 injection) and the reoccurrance rate is really low (lifetime .03%). This website, http://www.felinethyroidclinic.com/faq.html, has information about the treatment in cats.

So, I was wondering if anyone else had heard of this or had any other information on it. It seems like it could be a really good thing for treating hypothyroidism and I just wanted to get the information out there and invite discussion of it here since I know some of our forum members have dogs with hypothyroidism.]]>bella has hypothyroidismhttp://www.shibainuforum.org/forum/discussion/8098/bella-has-hypothyroidism
Wed, 27 Jul 2011 17:25:57 +0000Saya8098@/forum/discussionsShe hasn't been getting many walks except early morning and late evening and they're short ones or we do tricks and agility in the shade.

Past three or five days she seems less energetic and depressed couple days ago she was shaking like scared..

Today she was shaking too, but nothing going on that scared her.

Mom is picking up her meds for her.

Bella eats wellness core ocean and gets raw meat three times a week love to do more, but can't right now..

I've read seaweed is not good for dogs with hypothyroidism, but some people say it's good for it so I dunno..

The supplement has other things in it cranberry and spirulina so not sure how much seaweed meal powder it has I could email them the company has been nice with answering my questions so maybe they can tell me..

I'd love to feed her raw diet,but she's my parent's dog and Once I moved out most likely she'd be switched back to wellness core ocean..

I dunno if they could feed raw and keep it balanced, but I guess if my mom read up on it enough she could do it.. No way we could do premade option price wise.

Any books I should read up on? I'm going to do a search on this forum since I remember seeing some threads on this.]]>